Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity and paternity (together referred to as parental) leave refers to policies that assist parents (the mother and/or the father) employed prior to giving birth (or adopting) to remain at home for a period so that they are able to care for the newborn child. Usually, these entitlements are a legislated right and vary significantly by country. Only four countries currently have no national law mandating paid leave for new parents: Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and the United States. However, legal requirements for parental leave do not always reflect actual practice. For example, in countries with relatively weak legal requirements, individual employers may choose to provide benefits beyond those that are mandated. Furthermore, while most developed countries (with the exception of the United States) ...